A few years ago, I was sitting at a program with my three (at the time, now I have four) young kids. My husband wasn't able to get out of work to come with us, so I was alone wrestling my littles and trying to keep them quiet and still in their seats. Needless to say, it was a frustrating task. After a few minutes of managing my little circus, a woman that I absolutely adore from my childhood neighborhood walked into the room. She sat near me and took in the scene. We hadn't seen each other for a few years, so she hadn't met all of my children. A little while later, she put her arm around my shoulders and said, "oh, Julia. You are so blessed!" I immediately felt a lump in my throat as I looked at each of the three sweet little faces that surrounded me. "Yes, I am." I replied. That day, I had become so caught up in the stress and chaos that I had temporarily forgotten what a blessing it was to be a mother.

Me and my five greatest blessings

It's all too easy as we wade through the day-to-day of our normal lives to take amazing things for granted. About a year ago, I implemented a 'gratitude practice' in my life that helps to keep me focused on the unending good aspects of my life, rather than any parts that may seem less than perfect. I personally choose to journal each day about three things that I am grateful for, whether they be big or small. That may be something you'd enjoy doing, or following are a few other ideas to make gratitude a more central part of your life:

Each morning as you wake up and prepare for your day, silently go over a list of all the things you are grateful for. This helps to set you up with a positive outlook for the remainder of the day.

Once a week, send a card or letter to a person you are grateful for and let them know why they are special to you and how they've impacted your life.

Make a photo journal of what you are grateful for. This is something I would like to implement in the New Year... what an incredible way to document 2017!

Share gratitude with your loved ones daily while you are gathered together at the dinner table.

Take a hard look at difficult aspects of your life and find ways you can be grateful for them. For example, when your baby is crying, take a look at the beautiful perfection of their tears!

Of course this is just a tiny sampling of the numerous ways you could implement gratitude in your life. I'd love to hear how you personally practice gratitude, and/or what you're thankful for in the comments!